


Let Me Take Your Order

by FagurFiskur



Series: 30 day cheesy tropes challenge [18]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Barista Castiel, M/M, Mindless Fluff, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-15
Updated: 2014-04-15
Packaged: 2018-01-19 13:12:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1471078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FagurFiskur/pseuds/FagurFiskur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Also, this customer, whose name Castiel had failed to get, was possibly the most beautiful man Castiel had seen in his life. It wasn't just the way he looked, but the way he carried himself. The way he licked his lips thoughtfully every so often. The way he squinted at the book in his hands (God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. As if it weren't enough for him to be handsome, he had to have excellent taste in books as well), before catching himself and relaxing them again. The way his hand softly cradled his cup of coffee as he picked it up to take a sip.</p><p> </p><p>It was mesmerizing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let Me Take Your Order

**Author's Note:**

> 30 day cheesy trope challenge: #1 - Coffee Shop AU
> 
>  
> 
> [The challenge](http://ghiraher.tumblr.com/post/37135733342/30-day-cheesy-tropes-challenge)

Times like these, Castiel had to wonder whether Anna was right about him.

"Cassie, I love you," she'd say, usually somewhere between her fourth and fifth glass of wine, "but you are a creep."

Not that Castiel was all that sure what constituted a creep, but staring at someone for ten minutes straight without their knowledge was probably it.

In all honesty, it was difficult not to stare. For one, there were no other customers in The Daily Grind at the moment. The only person there, save for Castiel and the lone customer, was Alfie, who was out back fixing the espresso machine.

Also, this customer, whose name Castiel had failed to get, was possibly the most beautiful man Castiel had seen in his life. It wasn't just the way he looked, but the way he carried himself. The way he licked his lips thoughtfully every so often. The way he squinted at the book in his hands (God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. As if it weren't enough for him to be handsome, he had to have excellent taste in books as well), before catching himself and relaxing them again. The way his hand softly cradled his cup of coffee as he picked it up to take a sip.

It was mesmerizing. Castiel blinked and forced himself to look away, before the man caught him looking. He recognized the growing ache in his chest and he refused to allow himself to fall in love with someone whose name he did not know.

It was for the best. The guy was probably straight, anyway.

\---

Castiel had only just managed to put the handsome, Vonnegut-reading man out his mind the next time he showed up at The Daily Grind. At the time, Meg was working the counter, but Castiel could still hear and recognize the man's voice. 

After he was gone, Castiel approached Meg. "Did you catch his name?" he asked, in what he hoped was a casual tone of voice. 

Judging by Meg's delighted smirk, he'd failed. "As a matter of fact, I did. Why, Clarence? Need to know what to write inside the little hearts in your notebook?" 

Castiel frowned. "I don't own a notebook." 

Meg rolled her eyes. "You're no fun. His name is Dean." 

"Dean," Castiel repeated softly. 

It suited him. 

\---

Dean began to show up regularly at the Daily Grind, every Tuesday and Thursday at two. Castiel made certain that he was working the counter at that time.

Dean always smiled at him when he placed his order. Castiel tried to tell himself that it meant nothing, he probably smiled that way at everyone, but he couldn't help feeling giddy.

Then one day, Castiel finally worked up the courage to smile back. Dean's own smile widened in return, and Castiel spent the rest of the day in a joyful haze.

Another time, Dean told him, "Thanks, Cas" when Castiel brought him his coffee. After that, Castiel felt like he was floating on clouds, right up until Alfie broke the espresso machine. Again.

Four weeks, five weeks, six weeks after Dean had become a regular, and Castiel began to suspect that his attraction to Dean might be reciprocated. Dean's eyes certainly seemed to linger a lot, and the smiles had gotten slier, more intimate.

And then Dean showed up with a girl.

\---

When Dean entered the shop, Castiel raised his hand in greeting. He dropped it as a pretty redhead entered right after him, and Dean leaned down to whisper something in her ear.

 _Of course_ he had a girlfriend. Someone as impossibly beautiful as Dean could never be single. The world was not so kind.

"Hey, Cas," Dean said as he approached the counter with his cute, redheaded girlfriend. He was smiling the same as always. He may as well have reached inside Castiel's chest and pulled out his heart.

"Hello," Castiel replied, carefully professional and distant.

Dean's smile waned somewhat. He glanced at his girlfriend and back at Castiel, looking confused. "Um. Could I have a double espresso?"

"And a vanilla frappuccino for me, please," Dean's pretty redheaded girlfriend added.

"Coming right up."

For one frightening moment, Castiel thought Dean was going to stay at the counter to talk, as he sometimes did while waiting for his coffee, but his girlfriend tugged at his sleeve and the two of them sat down.

Castiel focused on preparing the drinks. He lost himself in the simple actions, moving almost mechanically. The last thing he wanted was to give Dean any more of his attention

He finished the order and turned back to the counter. Dean and his girlfriend were huddled close together at their table, whispering intently. Dean looked agitated and was blushing slightly, while his girlfriend was gesturing in Castiel's direction.

Castiel cleared his throat. "Your order is ready."

Dean's girlfriend shot him a warning look and got up herself to fetch the drinks.

She smiled sweetly at Castiel once she reached the counter. "So here's the deal. My friend over there is crazy about you and wants to have your babies, but he's too chickenshit to do anything about it."

Castiel blinked. "Pardon?"

"You like him, right?" the girl - who Castiel was beginning to suspect was _not_ Dean's girlfriend - asked.

Castiel was too shocked to do anything but nod.

"So give him your number." The girl grabbed her frappuccino and took a sip. "This is delicious. My name is Charlie, by the way, in case you need to know for your wedding toast."

She walked back to her table, leaving Dean's drink pointedly still on the counter. Castiel stared into the dark liquid, trying to force himself to make sense of Charlie's words.

"Uh." Castiel looked up. Dean was standing there, hands in his pockets, his cheeks tinged pink. He was looking somewhere in the vicinity of Castiel's shoulder. "Sorry about that. Charlie's kind of... intense."

" _Do_ you like me?" Castiel blurted.

Dean's eyes snapped up to meet Castiel's own. He licked his lips. "Yeah. I do."

“Oh.”

“ _Oh_?” Dean repeated incredulously. “That’s it?”

“No,” Castiel said. He felt odd; calm and at once two seconds away from panicking. His stomach was knotting itself and his heart felt like it was trying to leap out his throat. “I like you, too.”

Dean swallowed. “Oh.”

“Could I-” Castiel hesitated. He didn’t know much about asking people out. He’d rarely been in this sort of situation. “Could I get your number?”

“Yeah.” Dean’s face broke into a wide, beautiful grin. “Okay."


End file.
